2021 Stanley Cup Playoffs: Who Are the Contenders So Far?

Author: Max Greenberg

Editor: Mark Awadallah

At the time of writing, we are five days into the 2021 Stanley Cup Playoffs and how great does it feel to have some semblance of normalcy. We have roaring crowds in arenas (except for those in Canada), overtimes galore, and it just feels so much better after watching last year’s playoffs in empty arenas in the hub cities. If there has been one thing that has been slightly disappointing, it is that the teams that have looked like contenders were already expected to do so. At least in my view. Here, I will go over each division and say who I think the real Cup contenders are. Since the playoffs this year are largely division oriented, I feel like this is the best way to do this.

Central

Let’s start with my personal favorite division--the Central. The first round matchups are the top-seeded Carolina Hurricanes against the fourth-seeded Nashville Predators, and the second-seeded Florida Panthers against the third-seeded Tampa Bay Lightning, who are the defending Cup champions. I firmly believe that the only two teams, at least at this point, you could consider contenders are the Hurricanes and Lightning. As the division winners, the Hurricanes had an incredible year, with everything seeming to click. Their offense, led by dangerous players such as Sebastian Aho, Andrei Svechnikov, and an emerging Martin Necas, has the perfect blend of talent and chemistry, and this sets their defense up to remain one of the best in the league. Even their goaltending seems to have been figured out, as rookie Alex Nedeljkovic has taken over the crease and is looking very solid. He has not faced a ton of shots in the playoffs so far, but when he has, he has looked very good. Rod Brind’Amour has his squad dialed in, and after a few years of having to mold together, they are finally a full-fledged Cup contender. The Lightning just got Steven Stamkos and Nikita Kucherov back for the playoffs, and Kucherov especially has been on fire since his return. The same core from the past few years is still around, and a trade deadline acquisition in David Savard only made them deeper. Game 1 between them and the Panthers was a showdown for the ages, and with a 2-0 lead, I do not see them blowing this series. It is a shame, because the Panthers finally got good again this year and have gotten contributions all throughout their lineup. But the task seems simply too daunting for them at this point.

East

The first round matchups in this division are the top-seeded Pittsburgh Penguins against the fourth-seeded New York Islanders, and the second-seeded Washington Capitals against the third-seeded Boston Bruins. The only team in this division that I really see contending for the Cup is the Bruins. Maybe I am being a little too harsh, given all three of the games between the Capitals and Bruins have gone to overtime. But I think the Bruins are the only team in the East that is well-rounded enough to go far in the playoffs. They have the star power on offense to do so, and Taylor Hall has been an excellent addition and has made them even better. Their defense is still very solid, and Tuuka Rask is still doing his thing. I would say that the only areas of concern for the Bruins are that David Pastrnak has yet to score a goal in the playoffs, and they have gotten virtually nothing from their fourth line. But Pastrnak is still contributing and can light the lamp at any time, and competes with enough offensive ability to the point where they can overcome a lack of production from their bottom line. I don’t trust the Capitals’ defense and goaltending situation, and the same goes for the Penguins, who have struggled mightily in the playoffs the last few years. The Islanders are a hard-working team that will be a tough out in the playoffs, but they do not have anywhere near the offense needed to be a true threat.

West

The first round matchups in this division are the Presidents’ Trophy winning team the Colorado Avalanche against the fourth-seeded St. Louis Blues, and the second-seeded Vegas Golden Knights against the third-seeded Minnesota Wild. As one would expect, the two teams from this division that I see as legit contenders are the Avalanche and Knights. For the most part, the Avalanche cake-walked their way through the Blues, and Nathan MacKinnon is on an absolute tear to start the playoffs, with five goals and two assists in just the first two games. The rest of their team is still loaded, with players such as Norris caliber Cale Makar and Vezina caliber Philip Grubauer. They did have a scare in last night’s game, and will most likely have to play at least the rest of the first round without Nazem Kadri, who has gotten into trouble with the rulebook yet again. But I do not see the Blues having anywhere near the talent to match up with the Avalanche, who are stacked in every phase of the game. The same can be said for the Golden Knights, who are bringing back everyone from last year plus Alex Pietrangelo. I worry for their sake because of their bench boss, who has a bad track record in the playoffs, but if there was one reason to call them favorites for the Cup, it would be because of Marc-Andre Fleury. I mean, all I have to say about him is, wow. He turned in yet another Vezina caliber regular season, and in the playoffs, he has made some unbelievable saves, and in my mind, has easily been the best goaltender so far. Anytime you are getting elite goaltending, you are a huge threat, and with how talented the Knights are, you have to respect them as legit contenders. If there is a potential dark horse team in these playoffs, I think it is the Wild. They shattered their expectations for this year, led by likely Calder Trophy winner Kirill Kaprizov, and Cam Talbot, who has returned to being a brick wall in net. They have quite a good team in front of them, but the one issue everyone will point to when talking about them is their center depth. Because of that, I do not think they will be able to best teams later on in the playoffs, and I do not think they will advance past the first round, but they have an otherwise good team and should be taken seriously.

North

The first round matchups in this division are the top-seeded Toronto Maple Leafs against the fourth-seeded Montreal Canadiens, and the second-seeded Edmonton Oilers against the third-seeded Winnipeg Jets. I consider it a real shame that one of these teams will make the third round over some others, because I do not respect any of these teams as legit contenders. The Maple Leafs still have the same issues that have plagued them in previous years: questionable defense and spotty goaltending.

Yes, I know the talent is still there, and yes, I know Auston Matthews had an unreal regular season. But they have never won a playoff series even with the insane amount of talent they have, and with the same issues resurfacing, it’s difficult to call them Cup contenders. The Oilers also have the same issues as in previous seasons: reliance on two great players and insufficient goaltending. They are already down in their current matchup, only scoring one goal against Connor Hellebuyck, and even though Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl will likely start to light up the scoreboard soon, they have nowhere near enough contributors to be among the truly feared. The Jets are the team I am picking to come out of this division, mainly because they are the most well off in arguably the most important area come playoff time -- goaltending. They also have a lot of talent in their top six, but like the Oilers, they have nowhere near enough depth to get near the Cup. And then there are the Canadians, who nobody can get a true handle on. At one point, they look like one of the elite teams in the league, and at others, they barely look NHL caliber. In previous years, you could say that Carey Price could take them far, but he is just not that good anymore. They are inconsistent and do not have anyone on their team that you could say gives them a chance to go far in the playoffs, so I do not think they will.

SPORTS ARE OUR UNIVERSE